Taiwan President Lai Arrives in Eswatini After Overflight Denials

Taiwan President Lai Ching-te arrived in Eswatini on Saturday, according to statements from Taiwan's presidential office and Eswatini's government. He was welcomed by Eswatini Prime Minister Russell Dlamini with a guard of honor at King Mswati III International Airport, as reported by Taiwan's Central News Agency and confirmed in Eswatini's official announcements.

The visit follows the suspension of a planned trip last month, when Seychelles, Mauritius, and Madagascar revoked overflight and landing permits for Lai's aircraft, according to Taiwan's foreign ministry. Taiwan's foreign ministry stated that these revocations were due to "pressure from China," though no public statements from Seychelles, Mauritius, or Madagascar have confirmed or denied this claim as of May 3, 2026, per available reports.

Details on how Lai reached Eswatini this time have not been publicly disclosed by Taiwan's presidential office or Eswatini's government. The delegation includes Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung and National Security Council Secretary-General Joseph Wu, according to a press release from Taiwan's presidential office dated May 2, 2026.

Neither Taiwan nor Eswatini announced the trip in advance, as noted in diplomatic communications cited by multiple outlets.

" A spokesperson for China's Taiwan Affairs Office, Chen Binhua, separately referred to Lai as a "rat crossing the street" in a comment to state media on May 2, 2026. China urged Eswatini to "recognize the general trend of history" and not support "Taiwan independence separatists," according to the foreign ministry statement.

On May 2, 2026, China announced the removal of tariffs on imports from all African countries except Eswatini, as stated in a notice from China's State Council Tariff Commission.

The visit is scheduled from May 3 to May 6, 2026, to mark the 40th anniversary of King Mswati III's accession to the throne, according to Taiwan's presidential office. Lai posted on social media on May 3, 2026: "Taiwan will never be deterred by external pressures.

" The itinerary includes bilateral talks with King Mswati III and the signing of a customs cooperation agreement, as detailed in Taiwan's foreign ministry briefing. Taiwan aims to strengthen economic, agricultural, cultural, and educational ties, per the presidential office statement.

Eswatini, previously known as Swaziland, maintains formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan and is its only ally in Africa, according to Taiwan's foreign ministry records. Worldwide, Taiwan has formal ties with 12 countries. China considers Taiwan part of its territory and has no formal diplomatic relations with it, as stated in China's foreign ministry documents.

Taiwan's government rejects this claim and asserts its sovereignty, according to official statements from Taipei. No public evidence has been released by China documenting specific communications with Seychelles, Mauritius, or Madagascar regarding the permit revocations, as of the latest reports.